Relaxing time 2
by Aki Jun
Summary: A redo of my old fanfiction: "It's summer again and the Classics Club decide to spend a relaxing week far from Kamiyama! What will this lead to? Houtarou/Chitanda. No real plot, just tones of Houtaeru fluff."
1. Getting there

Dear diary,

My name is Oreki Houtarou, I'm a seventeen year old boy from Kamiyama City and I thought I should use your first few pages to tell you the most important story of my once grey life so far. Here I go:

* * *

Due to my lack of excitement and interest in almost everything, I don't think I ever had what some would call a 'normal' summer vacation. Summer to me has always been the perfect time to rest and lazy out, without worrying about school (or any other kind of responsibility, to be honest).

That is why I found it impossibly weird that I was successfully pushed into a ship by my three closest friends, sailing for a Japanese island not too far from Kamiyama. I was told by Chitanda (the missy of the Classical Literature Club and original organizer of the trip) that it was a place with beautiful beaches, various interesting activities and incredible weather. The name of said island is Shizukana, and I am pretty sure I will never forget that place.

The ship was nothing too large or luxurious, but it was far more than what four teenagers and the few crew members that accompanied us needed to handle two or three hours of sailing. Sadly, I didn't get to investigate the interior of it for Ibara, Satoshi and Chitanda were all out - pointing at every sea creature they saw and trying to find out their names - and I didn't want to wander around some stranger's ship all alone like a creepy anime character.

I also stayed outside because I found those three strangely amusing to watch. Mayaka barely got any name right, most times the other two didn't so much give her time to speak up. Satoshi and Chitanda were crushing the poor girl, both of them always quickly guessing the names correctly.

By the time the ship reached the dock, I was already more than just a bit sick. My head was spinning and my stomach ached painfully, my sight wasn't clear in the slightest and I made quite the effort to walk without throwing up. 'I should be used to it...' I thought, annoyed. As one could easily guess, I'm not a sports person. Therefore, every small travel can get me easily dizzy.

My friends were nowhere near me, or at least that's what I thought.

A sweet, delicate voice called out my name from the side. It was a tone I would recognize in any corner of this world - Chitanda's. She picked up my bags before I could do anything to stop her and then she made me a question, extending her free arm on my back. "Do you need help, Oreki-san?" I didn't think twice. As if the long haired beauty before me was a goddess, trying to help a poor man on a rainy, lonesome street, I clung onto her. "Help me… get to the hotel… please." She was surprised at first, I could tell, but it only took her a blink and a determined nod.

She was (thanks heavens) tall and strong enough to guide me steadily through Shizukana's streets. Along the way I recovered a bit, but just the thought of having her arm around me kept me quiet. I'm such an idiot; I took advantage of her good will and genuine kindness…

In front of me I noticed Satoshi who finally decided to look at me. He smirked and winked, giving me that annoying look of his that said "I understand everything, Houtarou!".

We were still a few feet away from the hotel when I finally felt like I was at least at 90%. "Thank you very much… I can handle this, now." I told the purple eyed girl by my side as I straightened my back and reached my hand down to retreat my bag. My hand touched hers by accident and a mix of feelings rushed through my body. _'Not now…' _I thought, underneath my forced pokerface.

"If you need anything else, just tell me." She smiled sweetly in my direction. _'You're not helping.'_

After all this, everything happened pretty fast. When I noticed, I was already in front of the secretary of the hotel, receiving the key to my room. The man in front of me was tall, a little chubby, had short white hair and rectangular glasses adorning his small, jet black eyes. I'd give him forty years old, maybe. "Well, now that you have the keys I'll give you all the freedom you need. There are other people installed here, so I'd ask you four to be as quiet and educated as you can. Thank you." We all agreed with a nod and a few more words, and made our way up, sometimes bumping into foreign people speaking different languages.

The girl's room was number '28', mine and Satoshi's was number '21'. There were a few rooms dividing us, but we were still incredibly close given the size and quality of that hotel.

"Woah!~" Satoshi said as soon as he opened the door. Wow, indeed, friend…

After setting my things in, I looked around the place. The huge beds were soft and almost worthy of kings, adorned with far too many pillows which smelled of lavender, the TV was equally luxurious and had a large variety of channels to choose from, the view was absolutely breathtaking and the bathroom and living room were so nicely lit and decorated I couldn't believe I wasn't in a doll's house or a dream - a very energy consuming dream.

I was exhausted. I lay on the bed I had set as mine, stretching completely like a sloth on its favorite branch. "Please tell me you won't spend all your time here sleeping, Houtarou. We have to enjoy every minute! It doesn't seem to me like this trip's going to be cheap for the Chitandas…"

I didn't even flinch in response or cared to open my eyes. "Trust me, if I could sleep all day, I would." His chuckle replaced the words 'You never change'. "Also, I wouldn't worry about how much Chitanda's parents are going to spend with us… The owners of this hotel are their friends and they are going to lower the costs dramatically. Or at least that's my deduction." My eyelids started to open and I rolled my body lazily. Slowly, I lowered my semi-opened eyes and looked at my watch, only to find out it was only midday. I sighed tiredly and thought to myself:

**_'Please, let this day and week be calm and relaxing.'_**


	2. Day 1

The day before had been really tiring for me. However the rest of it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be… We spent the rest of the day on this rather gorgeous park, and we mostly just relaxed and chatted. I actually think I grew to love it. From time to time, a light summer-breeze would gently blow, cooling down the hot and overwhelming weather felt at that moment, making it a much more enjoyable place. Later, we all had dinner together at a small restaurant we found, where we had some pretty delicious new dishes we never had before and, after that, we gazed at the moon as it gave the starry sky another shade of dark blue. I could go on and on about this, but enough about yesterday, already.

The next day, I, Oreki Houtarou, woke up a little earlier than I normally do. I never thought I'd say this in my life, but I didn't really feel like going back to bed. Satoshi was getting into my nerves, mumbling nonsense and snoring non-stop. He doesn't shut up even when he's sleeping, apparently. So, I decided I would leave the hotel, and go for a walk, maybe visit that park again. It was still early and, from the balcony of room 21, I could barely see people walking around. Thus, no noisy or annoying situations should come up, right? I got dressed and put my shoes on. I wrote Satoshi a note so he could know I had run off, and would be back soon enough. I also checked my pockets to make sure I had everything I needed with me, keys included.

Okay.

I opened the door of my room and closed it behind me, careful not to be too loud with it. As I said before, it was still early. My eyes unwittingly turned to my side, checking the girl's room door, my green orbs melting with the golden color of the sign that read '28', as if I was expecting _someone_ to come out of it and accompany me … Of course she wasn't there, what was I even thinking?

I didn't know where I would be heading to; I was simply following my feet which kept on moving one after the other. My thoughts were really confusing, but I think that's just how everyone's brain works once they wake up. I didn't feel like thinking, but I had a feeling I would soon be forced to do so.

After a while I felt my breathing getting heavier, so I stopped. I sat by a marble fountain decorated with elegant sculpting and gushing glittering, transparent water from above. This place was paradise on earth, having not only the best stores and hotels around but also one of the most gorgeous street decorations and views I'd ever seen. I sighed, trying to gain my breath again.

I was startled when I felt someone tapping my shoulder. It was small hand, most definitely female. I turned to see who this mysterious person was, only to meet a pair of large, shiny purple eyes, almost as if they were smiling at me. "Hello, Oreki-san!" The raven giggled.

"Oh, hey… I'm surprised to see you here." I told her honestly, using the same low voice tone as I had always used. Chitanda sat by my side, thus letting my eyes have a better look at her. Goodness, I remember it clear as day… She was wearing a light yellow dress that stopped right before her knees, with a brown belt elegantly hugging her waist. Her jet black, straight hair was up in a messy bun, with two thin yet long locks of hair falling for both sides of her bangs. She had a pair of dark brown boots on and carried a small bag on her shoulder. On her ring fingers sat silver rings, and the mess of colorful wrist bracelets she carried gave her a childish and exotic look that fit the island she had pushed me in to just perfectly.

"So, just what may you be doing here, Chitanda-san?" I decided to ask her. I was a bit… curious.

"I could ask you the same thing…" Chitanda tilted her head in that adorable way of hers. "I woke up early because Mayaka-san stole all my bed sheets during the night..." She giggled innocently, and then looked at me. "I am really cold sensible ever since that incident on New Year's..." An enormous pain slashed my heart into two completely distinct pieces as she finished her sentence. The reason she's like this is because of… _'Damn.' _Suddenly, I felt bad I hadn't forced our way out of that place. Then again, rumors would surely spread… I wouldn't mind, what others say doesn't affect me all that much, but the Chitandas and other rich families close to them most certainly don't think this way.

Chitanda's purple eyes looked into mine, and that look immediately made me realize she could read my sadness. I cut her off before she could speak up. "I see… Well, I don't really have a reason." I started with a sigh. "Satoshi wouldn't stop snoring, so I thought of running away from him."

She giggled softly. "So mean, Oreki-san."

"Maaaybe." I responded simply.

Something about her story didn't make sense... "Hey, wait. That doesn't explain why you're _here_." I added, one of my dark eyebrows going up. "What are the probabilities of us finding each other, without planning it beforehand, in a city so complex like this one?"

"Nothing escapes you, after all." I twitched slightly. Just what did she mean by that? How many times do I have to tell her I'm no genius, simply a very lucky guy? "Because it was so early, I decided to try and see the sun rise through our room's balcony… That's when I saw you, leaving the hotel." She explained calmly. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to follow because-"

"Let me guess:" I had already predicted what she was going to say afterwards. "«I was curious!»" We both said in unison. She stared at me with a stunned look, as if she thought I somehow read her mind. We kept eye contact, but her confused face was hilarious. No longer capable of maintaining a stoic expression, I laughed. I genuinely laughed.

Her features only grew more surprised. Through chuckles I asked her. "What, am I… aha-am I not allowed to laugh?"

Chitanda's face heated up to her ears. She waved her hands frantically in front of her and shook her head so hard some of her hairs fell from the bun atop her head. "N-No! Nothing like that it's just…" Her gorgeous orbs fell to our feet. "…You should laugh more…"

My laughing died out and suddenly the water of the fountain falling down was the only sound between us. I was more surprised than embarrassed, really. I knew my laughing was rare, but was it something so important that she would like to hear again? Why was she so red anyway? "You think?" I looked to my side and saw her nod. "Perhaps you're right…"

Silence and more silence… I've always liked quiet, why was I so restless about this? Why did I want to speak to her and break this invisible barrier of awkwardness? Had I changed more than I had realized?

I decided to call her name. "Chitanda." Her head turned aggressively to face me, those large pupils with an odd shimmering to them. It was only then that I realized she probably wanted to break the silence as well, that she wanted to talk with me. "I think we should go back…" I look to my side, defeated. _'You just couldn't think of anything else, smartass.'_

She looked disappointed at first but them she smiled (probably because she realized I was trying to lift the heavy atmosphere around us, something the old me wouldn't care to do). Oh, her smile… When she's smiling like this, I can't handle but wonder when she got so beautiful. "Yes." The girl that just won't get out of my head said politely and got up to her feet. "Shall we?" She extended her hand forward.

I nodded and took her hand in mine. She pulled me up and guided me on our way to the hotel. Like that we stayed, fingers intertwined, comfortable silence around us, feelings untold... She only let my hand go when we could both see our destination. My hand felt like it was burning for the rest of the day.


	3. Day 2

**I took a looooong time and I'm sorry for that, but then again, this baby is 3,237 words long. I am going to start working on the next chapter, and thanks a lot to everyone who took the time to read this. Happy reading!**

* * *

I'd probably say the biggest attractions of Shizukana are its beaches. The sand is thin and light, and the clear blue ocean is appealing to everyone, young or old. The waters are very calm and inviting, and the fact my friends would like to visit one of those beaches didn't surprise me at all…

I am talking about this because that's where we went on our second day of 'fun', third day of our trip. But let's start from the beginning…

Two quiet, sleeping souls which rested quietly on room 21 were woken up by Satoshi's high pinched, repetitive ringtone. I would have complained if I had the energy to do so. Instead I shielded my ears with a pillow I somehow managed to grab from the floor. He moved his arm sluggishly around the bedside table which separated our beds, trying to put an end to the piercing sound. "Hum?" Satoshi mumbled to whomever. "But... Alright, what time is it?" He sounded more awake as time went by. "Already, hum? Ok, we will be there ASAP." I heard him turn of the call. "The girls called us down, let's prepare ourselves! Oh, and put on your swimsuit."

I didn't even move an inch nor did I care. Still, I knew I couldn't fall asleep again, after all, the girls were waiting. One could say I was simply… resting my eyes and trying to find the courage to leave my warm sheets. A bed of such luxury and I can't even enjoy it properly… Such misfortune.

"Houtarou… If you don't get ready quickly you will miss breakfast. Do you really want to make Mayaka angry?" My roommate told me impatiently. He was probably pouting like a child, that guy. My response to him was a soft groan and a forced angry stare as I pushed myself up.

I got dressed, (kind of) combed my hair and brushed my teeth. I filled my pockets with my phone and keys and put on my shoes. Satoshi, who eventually grew tired of waiting with his arms crossed, left the room, saying he wouldn't lose the change to have breakfast because of me. I was fine with it, honestly. I liked to be alone at times and it's not like I ever asked him to wait for me anyway.

I too left the room in quite the rush, I'm not sure I even locked the room that time. But not even my quick pacing was enough and, by the time I joined my friends, the buffet had already been closed. I sighed and greeted them. I would have to eat by some café nearby.

Satoshi, who was still chewing on something, told me something that I didn't quite understand, but that probably went around the lines of 'I told you!'. Ibara was marching closer to me, her torso bent forward and with her petit hands on her waist. I knew what was coming as she approached me with heavy steps. "What did we tell you?! Why didn't you come quicker? You never change, Oreki, seriously! How…" That right there was the point I stopped listening to her. I'm used to her sermons, but I had just woken up and I couldn't care less about lectures in the morning. Why did we even have to get up so early? The beach wasn't going anywhere, of this I was and am still certain. Occasionally I'd nod and mutter "Yeah." or "You're right." just to see if Ibara would leave me alone at once.

Eventually, Chitanda came to my rescue, once again acting like the goddess she had probably been in another life. "Come on now, Mayaka-san, don't give Oreki-san such a hard time. Accidents happen, right?" She patted her back with a sweet smile on her lips as she spoke. Dashing purple orbs then turned to me, reflecting the shine from the lights above us. My heart skipped a beat, but I managed to keep my cool. "Good morning, Oreki-san. I was expecting you to be late, so I saved you something." A goddess on Earth, I tell you. Thinking back, it's possible that I had the most idiotic expression I ever wore on my face when I heard that. I was surprised and a flattered that she – much like the other two didn't – cared to waste her energy on me. Of course she didn't live by my motto, but I could still appreciate and be touched by her voluntary kindness.

"Thanks." I told her simply as I blinked into my poker face again and took the sandwiches from her hands, ever so neatly folded around a girly handkerchief. The raven head simply smiled and nodded. I can swear that her smile made my eyes believe for a few seconds that the room had gotten new, much brighter colors. Maybe Satoshi noticed this, and that's why he kept flashing me silly winks and smirks. That bastard… Who does he think he is?

"Alright! Now that we are all together, I think it would be best we went out, no? The beach is still pretty far away, right, Chitanda-san?" Satoshi asked, confident the answer would be positive.

"Indeed. Oh! I have something to give you." The taller of the two girls beside me said with a small jump. "The gentleman on the entrance door is the eldest son of the owner of the hotel, who knows my parents well." Surely enough, when I moved my face to my side, I spotted a fairly tall young man in uniform, talking to another worker. "He said that people need to pay for these, but he didn't mind sparing us a few maps for free. Here are yours. Please make sure to keep them close, for you might get lost one day!" Being rich and well known sure is awesome sometimes, hum?

The guy Chitanda spoke of looked important and wealthy himself, despite being dressed like all the other hotel workers that I'd seen so far. He had quite a tropical look, with sun-kissed skin and ocean green eyes. At least that's the color they seemed to be from such a distance. His hair was almost as brown as his skin, perhaps a bit darker. I watched as women who needed help (or simply a little chat) never approached any other hotel crew member but him.

As we were leaving the main hotel entrance, said male opened the door and bowed in a polite way, greeting me and my group as he did so. I nodded lazily, and kept on following the others. Chitanda was really the only person who spoke back. I took a step out of the tall building and instantly felt the light summer breeze touch my skin and heard the birds chirp in a relaxing and happy manner, almost as if they were greeting me. Summer wasn't that bad after all, was it?

Knowing that we would be walking for quite some time, I decided to take that opportunity to have breakfast and finally shut my noisy stomach up. I saved Chitanda's handkerchief in by pocket, the same place I put my keys so I wouldn't forget to give it to her later. Thinking back to it, I'm not too sure as to why I saved it, after all it would have been much simpler to just give it to her once I didn't need it. Maybe I wanted something to hold close and remind me of how kind she was, but then again, it's not like I didn't know that already. In the end, I'm glad I kept it.

Shaking my head out of that subject before Satoshi noticed it again, I heard Ibara jump to Chitanda's side with wide, shiny eyes. "He was so cute!" Her voice was a mix of surprise, awe and envy. I didn't need to be told who they were talking about. "Did you say he was your friend? Are all your rich friends like that? If so, I'm super jealous of you!"

Chitanda giggled heartedly and shook her head at the question. "Oh, not really! The Mizushima's have always been known for their great hotels and services, as well as their unorthodox and good looks. Anko-san inherited said beauty from his parents." She told her friend, smiling.

"Anko? Isn't that a girly name for a guy like that?" I asked, after swallowing a large bite. I knew better than to get into a conversation between girls, and by the look on Ibara's face I knew that I shouldn't have asked anything but… I was curious. _Dammit_. I hate saying that.

"It is. I don't think there's anything wrong with it thought." The shorter girl said with a frown.

Chitanda stepped in once again to calm the waters. "He likes to be addressed by Akio instead, but even after so time I can't seem to get used to calling him that." The raven haired girl wore a confused expression, as if she didn't understand why a male would want, well, a male name. "I think it's a gorgeous name…"

Satoshi (who had been awfully quiet) let out a low 'humph'. I seemed to be the only one to hear it and as I looked his way, still eating my sandwich, my eyebrow shot up because I know him well, and thelook on his face was the look of someone who's jealous. I knew my best friend held feelings for Ibara, he told me so a long time ago, but Satoshi didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd get jealous over some random person who's success among the ladies. At last, I finally had my opportunity to mock him instead of being the one who gets mocked. When he noticed me glancing in his direction I simply smirked. Oh, yes, revenge.

The rest of our walk was fairy calm, but the closer we got, the busier the streets and roads began to be. The number of stores and restaurants increased significantly, and so did the number of people. It almost felt like I was being sucked in by this massive wave of energy and I was beginning to regret getting out of bed.

I quickly forgot about this when we arrived at our destination, though. The breeze got a bit stronger and there was a strong sent of salty water in the air. The thin sand tickled my feet and the sun – which was becoming stronger by the second - was beginning to make my face sweat and beg for cooling, for I tan easily. We managed to find ourselves a decent spot and we began to lay our things down. I made sure to rest my towel on the spot our sunshade casted the most shadow.

Once it was all set up, my friends began to strip their clothing in order to apply sunscreen and eventually go for a swim. I, however, spread myself across my towel with my shirt and shoes still on and closed my eyes, the sound of the waves clashing against the sand like a lullaby Mother Nature never gets tired of singing. I didn't have any plans to swim, so the only thing I could do to pass the time was sleep.

"Oreki, you are _not_ going to sleep all day." Ibara told me once she noticed my eyes shutting. I heard a bottle of sunscreen being opened on the opposite side the voice was coming from, possibly from Satoshi. "We are on vacation, remember? At least pretend to be having fun, geez." She sounded angry; I didn't exactly open my eyes to check.

"I am not interfering with you guys, am I?" I retorted. The other boy of the group spoke up shortly after. "Houtarou, I know you don't like to 'waste your precious energy' but at least think about Chitanda-san." Of course he had to convince me with that name. I swear to the gods, diary, I am never talking to him about my love life. "She prepared all this just for us and you don't seem to be very thankful."

I finally opened my eyes, feeling them turn to Chitanda in her stripped bikini and light, white jacket. She didn't think I was being rude and ungrateful, did she? The inner corners of her eyebrows went up and she shook her head in dismissal. "Don't say things like that. If Oreki-san wants to stay here he can choose to do it." Maybe it was because my eyes were still getting used to the light, but I thought I had seen her usually cheerful expression drop. I felt an odd strength pulling and weighting my heart down, but I decided to ignore it.

Sometime later, I sat by myself sighing. Earlier, the mere sound of the waves was enough to make me sleepy, so why was it that I couldn't sleep then? Maybe that strange feeling on my chest (which was definitely guilt, I deduced easily) was the cause of all my discomfort. I picked up a book I asked Satoshi to carry for me on his backpack and started to read, but quickly got tired of doing so... "Whatever, then." I mumbled as I took of my clothes and began to make my way to my friends' direction. They noticed me approaching and waved - I mirrored the gesture lazily.

While the other three acted like children, looking for shells and other odd creatures in the sea, I stood beside them staring at the horizon, lost in my own thoughts. Occasionally my eyes would move by themselves, resting upon the elegant and wealthy heiress of the Chitanda family. I remember when we went to the swimming pool together and the same happened… several times. I shook my head embarrassed and most likely red, feeling like a child myself.

Later we had lunch on a cheap restaurant nearby and back to the beach we went. They always warn you about how you shouldn't swim after eating, so we decided it would be best to stay away from the shore for a few hours. That being said, we did whatever we could to prevent boredom: we played cards, we read, we had a lively chat and we even admired some amazing street performers up close. (From the corner of my eye I noticed Chitanda smile wide, and that eased my guilt a little bit.)

The sun was starting to go down, but it was still decently bright and warm in Shizukana. My friends and I decided to go for one last dive before returning to the hotel. It didn't take me much time to get tired and leave them though. "I'm going to get myself dry." I told Satoshi and the girls, completely soaked wet form swimming in the unsteady waters. They nodded, saying that they would too but later.

Everything was fine and well until I heard a male voice calling my name. A male voice I recognized well. I shot my head up, confused and slightly curious, only to see three figures walking towards my direction. Ibara had her arms around Chitanda, and Satoshi came running in front of them. He was the first to approach me and I was beginning to feel a bit worried. "What happened?" I asked with a jump.

"Well, nothing serious but…" My best friend started. "Chi-chan slipped and hit her elbow really hard." Ibara explained further. "Here, sit down and let me see it."

The long haired girl, who looked like she was forcing a tough face, did as she was asked. I peeked, trying to analyze the bruise myself and understand just how urgent the situation was. I saw only scratches covered with sand and some small drops of blood and sighed in relief. _'Could be worst.' _I thought. _'But what will I do?'_

Suddenly, an old memory flashed before my eyes. I was about seven years old and my sister and I were playing on a public garden until I fell and scraped my knee. Sis' came to my side and cleaned it with some water, then warped some fabric around the wound. That improvised bandage lasted enough time so I could get home and receive proper treatment from my mom. And so, I decided to copy my scary sister's actions.

I bent next to Chitanda holding a water bottle and splashed the liquid on her elbow, eliminating any grains of sand and dirt that could infect the wound. She seemed to twitch slightly and I couldn't blame her, the water was freezing cold… The next step would be to warp some kind of fabric around the scratches. I put my hand in my key pocket and retrieved that same handkerchief she had given me earlier. "Do you mind if I get this dirty?" I asked calmly. The object was hers and I wouldn't want to ruin it without her permission. She shook her head with a small smile.

Making sure there were no crumbs left on that delicate piece fabric, I folded it in a way that wouldn't bother Chitanda's movement. I wrapped the handkerchief around her elbow as gently as I could, almost as if her skin was made with the finest porcelain. I didn't want to hurt her, falling had been enough. I tied a knot to secure it in place and created a gap between us. "There." I finished, proud of my work and decision making. I also mentally thanked my sister, who at that time was exploring the Caribbean.

I glanced to my side and saw Ibara and Satoshi looking at me with wonder, as if they had never seen me being gentle or caring and my cheeks instantly began to warm up. "Um, that's not going to last forever… We should probably go now." I told them nervously. We packed everything and returned to the hotel in a comforting silence.

On the way back, though, I felt a small hand tugging my shirt. I stopped and noticed that Satoshi and Ibara were walking in front of me, which could only mean that- "Thank you, Oreki-san." -the hand belonged to Chitanda Eru. "Thank you very much for taking care of me." She let go of my shirt and bowed politely.

I started to feel nervous again. I didn't know what to do or say because, when I saw her like that, I knew I had to do something and it almost felt like my body moved on its own. "I-It's alright, don't worry." I scratched my neck in an attempt to relax. "I did what was necessary. Sorry about your handkerchief, though."

Chitanda chuckled. "It's fine."

Silence.

Silence.

"…I had fun." I told her so quietly I was sure she wouldn't be able to hear it.

"You did?" Her face lit up brighter than the sun. "That's wonderful! I was afraid you didn't…"

"That's nonsense. I-" I thought about not saying anything else. I wondered if what I was about to say sounded like a cheesy, overused line out of some shoujo manga. But I stopped caring at some point and the words came out of my mouth effortlessly. "I'll always have fun if I'm with you."

We locked eyes and blushed like two innocent kids finding out about love for the first time, and I guess that in the end that's all we really are.

I made an important decision that very moment. When our vacation was over, I was going to confess.


End file.
